Meghalaya seems to lead in some of the worst health indicators. That 96.4% of school going children in the State are into tobacco use is alarming because of the physical and mental health impacts of tobacco addiction. Meghalaya owes a debt of gratitude to a silent group of workers at SAN-KER who have been assiduously trying to create awareness about substance abuse of which tobacco is one. Dr Sandi Syiem and his team at SAN-KER have worked relentlessly in providing care to people addicted to substance abuse. It is also admirable that the Shillong All Faith Forum (SAFF) has, in collaboration with SANKER, taken up the issue of tobacco abuse as a priority.
Studies say that 90% of adult smokers started when they were kids. Hence, it’s important for parents to learn all they can and to talk openly with kids early in life about the adverse impacts of tobacco use. Family conversations around these topics should not be “No Go” areas. Kids get their first life lessons from home and parents ought to be the first teachers. Unfortunately, in India parents tend to offload all responsibility, including that of communicating on social values and social skills to the school. This is where things go wrong. Kids learn from their parents. A father who smokes or drinks can hardly tell his child not to do the same. Smoke from burning tobacco contains harmful chemicals (such as lead, arsenic, and carbon monoxide) that can damage all body systems when breathed in. And this affects not only the smoker, but also passive smokers – people who are around the smokers. One chemical, nicotine causes a person to become addicted within days of first using it. In fact, the nicotine in tobacco can be as addictive as cocaine or heroin. Hence once a person starts to smoke, it’s hard for him/her to stop.
Health problems linked to smoking include heart disease, lung disease, such as pneumonia, asthma and a host of other diseases. Smoking at a young age is even more harmful because nicotine can harm brain development. It is more difficult for kids who smoke to learn new things as their cognitive domain is adversely affected and they have short attention span. Besides, they are likely to become addicted quicker than adults. Nicotine is also linked to depression and anxiety in young smokers. Several studies show that young smokers are more likely to also try out alcohol and marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or other drugs.Kids might be drawn to smoking for many reasons. Many do it to look cool, act older, to appear tough, or feel independent. This is where parents come in. They can discuss smoking in a way that doesn’t make kids fear punishment or judgment. Parents also need to ask the kids for their opinions on what appeals or does not appeal to them about smoking. It is through such non-threatening conversations that kids might be deterred from experimenting with smoking.
